The Parent Center

The Parent Center

Parenting Classes

Prevention Services

Parent Resources

Whether you are a new parent, single parent, experienced Mom or Dad facing some new issues, married parents, divorced parents, grandparents, foster parents, or a soon-to-be parents with lots of questions, The Parent Center at Centers for Youth and Families is here to equip you for your most most important job of parenting.

Since children aren't born with handbooks, The Parent Center at Centers for Youth & Families wants to be your go-to resource for guiding helping you child through their emotional, social, and developmental milestones. Some of these milestones may involve more advanced emotional and behavioral needs. Our classes and team of educators are here to help you and your children wherever you are on your journey from infancy to the teenage years.

Beginning over forty years ago as a community project of the Junior League of Little Rock, The Parent Center became it's own stand-alone non-profit focusing on the pressing issues facing parents from all walks of life. In 1987, The Parent Center came under the umbrella of Centers for Youth and Families to offer prevention services and continue community outreach to build stronger families within central Arkansas.

Today, The Parent Center offers Parenting Education Classes and an Online Parent Resource Library. Through our Prevention Services Teams, we reach expecting and new parents in our Healthy Families America Home Visiting Program and educate youth on making responsible life choices through our Personal Responsiblity Education Program for tweens and teens.

PARENT EDUCATION CLASSES

Parent Education Classes are offered year-round on a variety of parenting topics. All courses are focused on enhancing parenting practices and behaviors, such as developing and practicing positive discipline techniques, learning age-appropriate child development skills and milestones, promoting positive play and interaction between parents and children, and locating and accessing community services and supports.

ONLINE PARENT RESOURCE LIBRARY

Vist our online parent resource libarary for parenting information right at your fingertips. Our online library features information on child development, parenting for good behavior, and more. We add new information often, so check back frequently.

Need a listening ear and somebody who can help you navigate parenting challenges? We have Parent Educators in the office during the week to field questions and provide guidance, along with a myriad of opportunities to connect to The Centers online.

We hope to help your family grow and thrive by giving you the tools you need to be the best parent you can be. Our parent education curriculum includes evening classes, as well as lunch and learn classes.

We are available to provide private classes/workshops on a contract basis for your group or organization! We welcome the opportunity to meet with your school, church, or small group of friends who desire to become better parents. Please contact us to find out more about these services. We hope to help your family grow through parental participation in a class.

Cost of classes vary with courses. Classes are subject to change due to enrollment.

Click on a class title below for a full description, dates, and times.

This class is for parents who are required to take a court ordered or DHS recommended parenting class. In addition to teaching basic parenting skills, this one time, three-hour class focuses on how children are affected by divorce and separation, trauma and family unification. Topics covered include co-parenting skills, parenting styles, appropriate discipline techniques, problem solving, cooperation, anger management, communication and coping skills for both parents and children.

PARENTING THE STRONG WILLED CHILD

PARENTING THE STRONG WILLED CHILD

Learn how to set limits, reduce power struggles, and understand your strong willed child in this 4-week class. Parents will learn to recognize what triggers misbehavior and how to foster a relationship that will make their child more compliant.

PARENTING THE LOVE & LOGIC WAY ®

PARENTING THE LOVE & LOGIC WAY ®

For parents of children ages 0 through eighteen. In this five-week course you will learn the “love and logic” approach to encouraging mutual respect, good decision-making and responsible behavior. These techniques even work with strong-willed kids. Parents will learn to recognize what triggers misbehavior, set limits, reduce power struggles, deal with sibling battles, and learn how to foster a relationship that will make their child more compliant. This is a five week course that will include six lessons and strategies.

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CFYF Healthy Families

Centers for Youth and Families Healthy Families Home Visiting Program offers family-focused, culturally relevant services that are primarily home-based. Home visits are provided regularly to expectant parents and parents with new infants and young children until the child reaches the age of three. The parents we serve are facing challenges such as single parenthood; low income; childhood history of abuse and other adverse child experiences; and current or previous issues related to substance abuse, mental health issues, and/or domestic violence. Our trained and qualified staff address such issues as maternal and child health, positive parenting practices, child development, safe home environments, resource and referral access, literacy and school readiness. Because we believe that early, nurturing relationships are the foundation for life-long, healthy development, our personal interactions with families are relationship-based, designed to promote positive parent-child relationships and healthy attachment, strength-based, family centered, and culturally sensitive.

In 2017, Centers for Youth and Families Healthy Families Home Visiting Program received Platinum level accreditation through Healthy Families America (HFA), the signature program of Prevent Child Abuse America. We partner with Arkansas’ Home Visiting Network and are funded in part through the federal (Maternal Infant Early Childhood Home Visiting) MIECHV grant, as well as through support of our community donations.

Personality Responsibility Education Program (PREP)

Centers for Youth and Families Prevention Services PREP program educates young people on to reduce pregnancy and birth rates for high risk youth populations. The program targets youth populations that are vulnerable or at the highest risk for pregnancies, or otherwise have special circumstances, including youth in foster care, homeless youth, youth with HIV / AIDS, pregnant youth under the age of 21, mothers under 21 years of age, and youth residing in areas with high birth rates.

PREP also offers services to prepare young people for adulthood by implementing activities that address:

Healthy relationships, including development of positive self-esteem and relationship dynamics, friendships, dating, romantic involvement, marriage and family interactions;

Positive adolescent development, to include promotion of healthy attitudes and values about adolescent growth and development, body image, racial and ethnic diversity, and other related subjects;

Financial literacy, to support the development of self-sufficiency and independent living skills;